Mary Ruth Kellis, 80, of Orange, died, Monday, October 1, 2007 in Vidor.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, October 5, 2007 at Claybar Funeral Home Chapel in Orange. Officiating will be reverend Lynn Ashcraft. Interment will follow at Orange Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Visitation will be 6:00-8:00 p.m., Thursday, October 4, 2007 at the funeral home.

Mary was born March 31, 1927 in Henderson, Texas. She is the daughter of Troy V. and Cora Jane Lauderdale Skinner and worked as an operator at AT&T and South Western Bell Telephone Company. She retired with 37 years of service with SBC. She was a member of North Orange Baptist Church, SBC Pioneers and the Masonic Blue Lodge.

She was preceded in death by her husband John C. Kellis, parents, Troy V. and Cora Jane Skinner, sisters, Sue Davis and Theta Perry and a brother, Troy B. Skinner.

Mary is survived by her daughter Dolores Jackson and husband William of Orange, son, John Carroll Kellis, Jr., of Vidor, three grandchildren; Deborah Blackman and husband Dale Fontenot Sr. of Orange, Wade Jackson and wife Blake-Leigh of Victoria and Jonathan Kellis also of Orange. She is also survived by her great-grandchildren, Jessica Blackman, Eric Blackman, Parker Jackson, and two sisters, Letha Peterson and husband Doyle of Aiken, SC and Emily Weisman and husband Bill of Orange and numerous nieces and nephews.